nce I went to Mrs Stumfold's house."
"I know that you were not there on the last Thursday. I noticed it.
I could not fail to notice it. Thinking so much of you as I do, of
course I did notice it. Might I ask you why you did not go?"
"I'd rather not say anything about it," she replied, after a pause.
"Then there has been some reason? Dear Miss Mackenzie, I can assure
you I do not ask you without a cause."
"If you please, I will not speak upon that subject. I had much rather
not, indeed, Mr Maguire."
"And shall I not have the pleasure of seeing you there on next
Thursday?"
"Certainly not."
"Then you have quarrelled with her, Miss Mackenzie?"
He said nothing now of the perfections of that excellent woman, of
whom not long since he had spoken in terms almost too strong for any
simple human virtues.
"I'd rather not speak of it. It can't do any good. I don't know why
you should ask me whether I intend to go there any more, but as you
have, I have answered you."
Then Mr Maguire got up from his chair, and walked about the room,
and Miss Mackenzie, watching him closely, could see that he was
much moved. But, nevertheless, I think he had made up his mind to
walk about the room beforehand. After a while he paused, and, still
standing, spoke to her again across the table.
"May I ask you this question? Has Mrs Stumfold said anything to you
about me?"
"I'd rather not talk about Mrs Stumfold."
"But, surely, I may ask that. I don't think you are the woman to
allow anything said behind a person's back to be received to his
detriment."
"Whatever one does hear about people one always hears behind their
backs."
"Then she has told you something, and you have believed it?"
She felt herself to be so driven by him that she did not know how
to protect herself. It seemed to her that these clerical people of
Littlebath had very little regard for the feelings of others in their
modes of following their own pursuits.
"She has told you something of me, and you have believed her?"
repeated Mr Maguire. "Have I not a right to ask you what she has
said?"
"You have no right to ask me anything."
"Have I not, Miss Mackenzie? Surely that is hard. Is it not hard that
I should be stabbed in the dark, and have no means of redressing
myself? I did not expect such an answer from you;--indeed I did not."
"And is not it hard that I should be troubled in this way? You talk
of stabbing. Who has stabbed you? Is it not y
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